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Howard Lapham
Born
Howard P. Lapham

(1914-05-11)May 11, 1914
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 2008(2008-04-16) (aged 93)
Palm Springs, California, U.S.
OccupationsArchitect and building designer
Years active1954–1980s
Known forResidential and commercial projects in the Coachella Valley, including Ichpa Mayapan, Desert Star Apartments, and the Chi Chi Club remodel
SpouseRita Leeney (m. 1956; d. 2001)
Children2

Howard P. Lapham (May 11, 1914 – April 16, 2008) was an American architectural designer active in the Coachella Valley of Southern California from the 1950s through the 1980s.[1][2] He is recognized for residential commissions in Thunderbird Heights and other country club communities, commercial work in Palm Springs, and for the hillside Mayan Revival residence Ichpa Mayapan (Cook House) in Rancho Mirage.[3]

Early life and education

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Lapham was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on May 11, 1914.[1] Before moving to California he lived in Stamford, Connecticut, where he worked in building-related trades including carpentry, drafting, and contracting.[1] He relocated to the Coachella Valley in 1954, to pursue opportunities in building and design.[2]

Career

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Lapham was professionally active from the mid-1950s through the 1980s.[1][2] Many of his early clients were associated with the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage.[2] Several of these houses, including the Hyatt Robert von Dehn, John Kiewit, Clarke Swanson, and Morrow residences, were featured in Architectural Digest in the early 1960s.[2][4][5] He also contributed to a remodel of the Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse in 1961.[4]

In Palm Springs, his commercial projects included a new façade for the Chi Chi Club in 1959,[2] and involvement in the Palm Springs Greyhound Bus Terminal, completed the same year.[6][7] He also designed the Desert Star Apartments in 1956,[8] a small-scale hotel complex later recognized in 2016 as a Class 1 Historic Site by the Palm Springs City Council.[9] Lapham also built a large residence at 650 East Tachevah Drive in 1966, which included high ceilings, a cantilevered roof, and terrazzo floors.[10][11]

In Rancho Mirage, Lapham designed Lord Fletcher’s English Pub (1966), a Tudor-style restaurant on Highway 111.[12] His residential work there included Ichpa Mayapan (Cook House), a hillside house completed in 1970 with Mayan Revival influences.[1][3]

From 1959 to 1963, Lapham collaborated with Romanian-born architect Haralamb H. Georgescu on several projects.[13][14]

Notable works

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  • Hyatt Robert von Dehn Residence (1960), Rancho Mirage[2]
  • Kiewit Residence (1960), Rancho Mirage[2]
  • Clarke Swanson Residence (1961), Rancho Mirage[2]
  • Morrow Residence (1961), Palm Desert[2]
  • Thunderbird Country Club clubhouse remodel (1961), Rancho Mirage[4]
  • Chi Chi Club façade renovation (1959), Palm Springs[6]
  • Greyhound Bus Terminal (1959), Palm Springs[7]
  • Desert Star Apartments (1956), Palm Springs[9]
  • Lord Fletcher’s English Pub (1966), Rancho Mirage[12]
  • 650 East Tachevah Drive (1966), Palm Springs[10][11][15]
  • Ichpa Mayapan (Cook House) (1970), Rancho Mirage[3]

Personal life

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Lapham married Rita Leeney in 1956, and they had two sons, Lawrence and Robert.[16] He died in Palm Springs, California, on April 16, 2008, aged 93.[16]

Legacy

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Lapham’s designs have been documented in regional historic resource surveys and archives.[1][2] Some of his buildings have been preserved, including the Desert Star Apartments, while others, such as the Hyatt von Dehn residence, have been demolished.[2][17] The collection of his papers are held by the Palm Springs Art Museum.[1] Local preservation organizations have highlighted his work, and several of his houses are featured during Modernism Week tours.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Howard P. Lapham Collection Finding Aid" (PDF). Palm Springs Art Museum Archives. Palm Springs Art Museum. 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Historic Resources Survey Final Report" (PDF). City of Rancho Mirage. City of Rancho Mirage. February 3, 2003. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Tyrnauer, Matt (March 22, 2017). "Look Inside Michael S. Smith's Rancho Mirage Residence". Architectural Digest. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Thunderbird Country Club — Palm Springs, California". Architectural Digest (archives). September 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  5. ^ "Thunderbird Country Club". Calisphere. Huntington Library, Maynard L. Parker Collection. 1961. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "Greyhound Tells Plan of New Terminal; City Council Okeh Signals Start of Construction Work". California Digital Newspaper Collection. University of California, Riverside. August 28, 1959. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Greyhound Bus Terminal". Palm Springs Preservation Foundation. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  8. ^ Ditmars, Hadani (February 9, 2015). "Top 10 modernist hotels in Palm Springs, California". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "City Council Staff Report: Class 1 Historic Designation of "The Desert Star Apartments" (HSPB 102)". City of Palm Springs. October 5, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Living Large". Palm Springs Life. January 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Baum Lagdameo, Jennifer (October 2, 2019). "This Midcentury Home for Sale Is the Grandest Palm Springs Has Ever Seen". Dwell. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Lord Fletcher's Inn Opening Photo Caption". California Digital Newspaper Collection. University of California, Riverside. May 13, 1966. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  13. ^ "Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907–1992 (Finding Aid)" (PDF). Getty Research Institute. J. Paul Getty Trust. 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  14. ^ "Haralamb H. Georgescu papers, 1907-1992, bulk 1931-1977". OAC University of California. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  15. ^ "This enormous Palm Springs compound may be the biggest midcentury house ever built in the city". Curbed LA. July 3, 2017. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Howard Lapham Obituary". The Desert Sun (via Legacy.com). April 20, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  17. ^ "LOST ARCHITECTURE | Preservation Mirage | Rancho Mirage, California". Preservation Mirage. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
  18. ^ "Celebrating a Decade of Palm Springs Modern Living by James Schnepf: A Special Home Tour | Modernism Week 2025". Modernism Week. Retrieved September 27, 2025.
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